Reading Reflection #1

           What I need to keep in mind as I start the journey through Project-Based Learning (PBL) is that I should use whatever technology is given to me in the classroom with the students. Weather it be a smart board or taking the students weekly to the computer lab but get them using all the great technology we have. Of course some teachers may have more technology in the classroom than others but to just work with whatever is given to me. When using all this new technology, get the students working together with the mind set of using PBL. Weather it be getting the kids to make a film of what they learned (like the book talks about) to get them more excited about the subject they are learning. Unlike writing a boring essay on there own, the kids will have a better chance of remembering working together and using all the different technology, as well as learning together instead of alone. As a teacher it would than be my job to work in all the standers for that topic but using PBL.

       Overall benefits of the PBL approach is almost like "teaching in a different way" and "turning the traditional classroom upside down". Getting the students to learn in a real world sitting changes there whole experience of how they learn. It becomes fun and the students aren't just being feed a bunch of boring information they most likely wont remember later but learning together with new technology, in a real world sittings will change how they see and learn new topics. This will also change how I will go about teaching as well, I'll set up the framework to the projects but the students will come up with the questions as well as find there own answers to those questions using technology to access there information. Projects would also be the centerpiece of the curriculum, so PBL wouldn't be extra work on top of the unit but built all in one.

      There are many benefits to students who participate in PBL, such as getting students using technology at a young age. This will help them not only in learning but in the real world and later in life. Getting to find information online, that me as teacher might never have found to share with the students. When students ask there own questions and need to go out and find those answer they are more likely to be excited about what they are learning and remember it more than just having a teacher stand in front of a class teaching or having students doing busy work. Students will also collaboratively work together to solve problems getting there questions answered more easily, overall working on projects together because face it no matter what job you get later in life you will have to work with others. This gets students doing it a young age as well.

     When using the PBL approach you must considered a lot, such as the kind of classroom you have, technology wise and what kind of students you may have. Everyone learns at different speeds so its important to figure out what approach will work best with the students you have. As the book states teachers are learners too so its important to really understand what PBL is before you just jump into it with a class. Everything comes with trial and error but its important, like with every lesson plan to have a lot of the project worked out ahead of time. With PBL the students will be doing a lot of there own work in groups but its important that your guiding them to the right answers as well. Being up to date with technology is something that will also need to be considered as well. You can't expect students to know how to work an ipad if you can't.

      The New Technology Model. Paul made a good point that we as teacher might face one day if we plan to use PBL, if your trying to use PBL in any classroom as a new idea and no one else in the school agrees with it you might be fighting an uphill battle like he talks about. How would you go about still getting to use PBL in your own classroom if no one else agrees with you on it? Unlike Paul you may not be able to just leave and go to a school that does agree with it. How might I go about still being able to use it in my classroom? Yes a lot of schools have great new technology but lets face it most schools don't. That will be a huge problem you might face when trying to teach using PBL.